Photos & Slideshow

Custom installers are no stranger to wiring horror stories, and that's because, all too often, homeowners think they can handle the setup and cable management of their home. In fact, there's a whole subreddit dedicated to showing off these horrible hack jobs. Even Picasso couldn't find art in these messes!

Why would homeowners think they can handle wiring? Well, some are just the industrious, do-it-yourself type that looks at their home as a project. Others are self-proclaimed "tech experts" who initially wonder, "Well, how hard can it be to connect some wires throughout my basement? I mean, I'm the person all the people in the office look towards for technology advice."

Then there are the patch jobs done by your local A/V Trunkslammer who takes a job, and through a lack of knowledge and laziness creates a rack that looks more like a bird's nest than a piece of equipment. Some of these may have ended up as takeover jobs for your custom integration company!

The truth of the matter is: Good wiring sets up the whole house for a better user experience. Residential integrators know shoddy A/V wiring and inconsiderate cabling isn’t limited to the residential world, either. Our sister site, Commercial Integrator, published its own version of the most chilling A/V cabling messes in the commercial market.

Whatever the scenario, a lot can be learned by examining these photographs. While it's a whole lot easier to leave a messy but otherwise functional rack alone, a certain amount of perfection and personal pride should come into play for a reputable integrator.

No matter what, pointing out these nests of cables and wire is sad, scary and a little bit fun. Thanks to the contributors over on Reddit for sharing these every-day monstrosities they've come across while on the job.

The custom electronics industry saw a healthy 8 percent growth rate in 2018, down slightly from the blazing 11 percent growth in 2017 but still admiringly strong. Our 2019 State of the Industry indicates that readers expect to see even more growth in 2019. Get your copy today.

Comments

I agree with this article 100% with the same reservation that most of the other professionals noted. There is no value attached with the CEDIA certification. My team is certified through classroom factory training, online training, and I make considerable investment in this arena. Almost all of the CEDIA training is backwards from where my staff is at today. It is a waste of time and money to run down that path. And I can ill-afford to hire a new tech that does not have minimum experience far beyond where CEDIA starts.

The worst part is that the IoT is moving faster than the syllabus at CEDIA can keep pace with. I view networking skillsets, factory certified, design capable, cloud use, installation skillsets being the most critical elements.

Posted by AVTech on July 19, 2018

75% of our business is being hired to fix other installs, this number was closer to 95% just a few years ago. We have one installer that we can literally follow around here in South Bend, Indiana and stay in business, why builders continue to use them is beyond me but they somehow continue to pass their work on as “Professional”. Probably the worst home of theirs took us two months to clean up.

I feel horrible for my new clients, but I actually enjoy fixing other installers work. It has allowed me the opportunity to refine my skills and ensure nice clean installs.

Posted by Adroit1 on July 18, 2018

Just think, many of these were done by “professionals”. The worst I have ever seen was on Jimmy Dean’s boat. In back of the entertainment system rack was a bundle of mess that had a URC MRF 260 buried in it that too k me over 20 minutes to access.

Posted by Adroit1 on July 18, 2018

Just think, many of these were done by “professionals”. The worst I have ever seen was on Jimmy Dean’s boat. In back of the entertainment system rack was a bundle of mess that had a URC MRF 260 buried in it that too k me over 20 minutes to access.

Posted by AVTech on July 19, 2018

75% of our business is being hired to fix other installs, this number was closer to 95% just a few years ago. We have one installer that we can literally follow around here in South Bend, Indiana and stay in business, why builders continue to use them is beyond me but they somehow continue to pass their work on as “Professional”. Probably the worst home of theirs took us two months to clean up.

I feel horrible for my new clients, but I actually enjoy fixing other installers work. It has allowed me the opportunity to refine my skills and ensure nice clean installs.

Posted by sjm mycloudbusters.com on October 13, 2018

I agree with this article 100% with the same reservation that most of the other professionals noted. There is no value attached with the CEDIA certification. My team is certified through classroom factory training, online training, and I make considerable investment in this arena. Almost all of the CEDIA training is backwards from where my staff is at today. It is a waste of time and money to run down that path. And I can ill-afford to hire a new tech that does not have minimum experience far beyond where CEDIA starts.

The worst part is that the IoT is moving faster than the syllabus at CEDIA can keep pace with. I view networking skillsets, factory certified, design capable, cloud use, installation skillsets being the most critical elements.